Tiltable chair



0. N. SMITH TILTABLE CHAIR June 14, 1938.

Filed June 11, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 0 fVSmz'f .4 lforncl/s Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to upholstered furniture, and has particular reference to a chair such as is adjustably and tiltably mounted on appropriate supporting means so that the seat is susceptible 5 of being disposed at varied inclinations with respect to the floor or other supporting surface.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a tiltable, shiftable chair and coacting base means making it possible to adapt almost any style or form of a chair for coordination with said base means and to practically transform the complete assembly into a seat whose inclination may be adjusted to suit the occupant and to thereby promote restful comfort.

I am sufficiently conversant with the furniture trade and the prior art which comprehends it to appreciate that chairs and equivalent pieces of furniture are equipped with tiltable backs, adjustable seats, and other comforts to accommodate the occupant. My aim is, therefore, to utilize what may be called an ordinary or conventional chair, upholstered or plain, wherein the same can be bodily shifted and tilted to maintain the back rest and seat in the same angular relation with respect to each other, but to vary their position in relation to the floor.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings. a

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is what may be called a side elevational view of a conventional upholstered chair showing the attached supporting base unit therefor constructed in accordance with my ideas.

Figure 2 is a sectional and elevational view of the frame work detailing the orderly selected and coordinated features found best to serve the needed purposes.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with certain of the features omitted for clearness of illustration of the principle of operation.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view showing the adapter means on one of the side rails of the base frame, that is, the frame of the base of the chair.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail vertical section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an elevational view of one of the leg members of the two-part base imit or support.

Referring now tothe drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be observed that the chair, which is an upholstered conventional type is denoted by the numeral 1. As brought vided with adapter devices to coordinate with the duplicate members of the two-part legequipped base units or members II.

The base members are duplicate in construction. That is to say, each member or unit ll includes supporting feet 12 to rest on the floor, and further includes a central riser whose upper curved surface I3 is in effect a seating crown for the chair frame 9. Said part I3 is thus of convex form and functions as a fulcrum for the relatively tiltable and shiftable or slidable bodily adjustable chair 1. In its preferred embodiment, the base member ll is in the nature of a longitudinally bowed leg frame. The central portion of the under side thereof is provided with a keeper notch M to accommodate a binding or retention bolt [5 carried by the chair frame.

The adapter means on the chair frame which is associated with the member II by way of said bolt I5 is in two parts. Each part comprises a retaining cleat I6 and an intervening rest or adapter element ll. The cleat I6 is secured by screwsor similar fastenings l8 to the adjacent side rail, said fastenings I8 also serving to hold in place the adapter element IT. The latter part is in the form of a relativelyshort block or equivalent piece of wood, as seen in Figure 3. The top thereof is flush with the corresponding top portion of the surrounding frame 9. The lower edge portion is formed with a central clearance notch l9 coacting with the underlying crown I3, and further formed with a pair'of longitudinally spaced and properly curved seating surfaces 29. The curvature of these surfaces corresponds to the curvature of the crown portion of the base unit ll. Thus, in effect, the unit ll fits between the rails I9 and cleat l6, allowing rest I! to come down on top of it to provide the desired adjustable shifting and fulcruming coaction between the base unit and chair.

It will be noted that the bolt l5 goes through the rail I and the cleat l6 (see Figure and also extends through the keeper notch ll. The ends or end walls of the notch 14 constitute abutinents to limit the longitudinal or horizontal shift of the chair in relation to the base members ll. Also, the bolt hole in the cleat I6 is slightly enlarged, as indicated at 2|, to accommodate the nut and threaded end of the bolt, as indicated derstanding of the invention to be had. There fore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary. p

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim: I

1. In a structure of the class described, a chair including a seat and an associated back rest, said seat embodying a base frame and said frame including adjoined side and end rails, cleats fastened to corresponding inner surface portions" of the side rails, and adapter blocks interposed between the cleats and side rails, the lower edge portion of each adapter block being longitudinally curved and the central portion of the curve including an elongated clearance notch, and a pair of base units for supporting said frame, each unit being longitudinally bowed'with its bowed portion disposedbetween the adjacent rail and cleat and arranged in matchlng contact with the curved lower edge portion of the adapter block, the lower edge portion of said base unit having a notch therein, and a bolt located in said notch and connected with the adjacent cleat and rail.

2. In a structure of the class described, a chair including a seat and an associated back rest, said seat embodying a base frame and said frame in turn including'complemental adjoining side and end rails, duplicate cleats fastened to corresponding inner' surface portions-of the side rails in opposed relationship, and adapter blocks interposed between the cleats and side rails, the upper edges 1 correspondingedges of said side rails, the lower edge portion of eachadapter block being longiing and fulcruming surfacefor the entire chair,"

'at 22. The opposite headed end of the bolt, as

the curvature of said convexed surfaces corresponding to the curvature of the under sides of said adapter blocks for matching coaction, and

a single bolt passing through each cleat and adjacent portion of the side rail to maintain the parts assembled, said base units being provided with longitudinally spaced stop shoulders with which said bolts coact.

3. In a structural assemblage of the class described, a base frame including a side rail, ,an adapter block fastened to the inner surface of said rail and having its upper edge flush with the corresponding edge of the rail, said adapter block being of a length considerably less than saidrail, and the. under side thereof being longitudinally curved to provide a concaved friction supporting and tilting surface, a cleat disposed ln parallelism with the rail and block and secured to the rail and forming a pocket between itself and said rail, a longitudinally elongated supporting and tilting unit, said unit having its opposite ends formed into floor contacting feet and having its intermediate portion located in the pocket between the rail and cleat, that surface of the unit underlying said block being longitudinally curved to provide a convex supporting'and friction fulcruming surface, the convexed surface matching the concaved surface of said block, the intermediate portion of said unit having formed .therein a notch forming a bolt accommodatlon base as well as longitudinally spaced stop shoulders, and a'single bolt fastened transversely through the rail and cleat and extending including adjoined side and end rails, 'cleats secured to corresponding inner surface portions of said side rails, and adapter blocks interposed between the cleats and side rails, the lower edge portion of each adapter block being longitudinally curved to provide a supporting and frame shifting and adjusting surface, and a pair of duplicate base units for supporting said frame, each unit being of the cleats being substantially flush with the longitudinally bowed with .itsbowed upper edge portion disposed between the adjacent rail and cleat and arranged in matching contact with the curved lower edge portion of the complemental adapter block, the lower edge portion of said base unit being provided with longitudinally spaced stopv shoulders, and-an assembling and check bolt passing through the cleat and companion rail and located for limited bodily adjustment be- 

